Use a USB microscope in a video call from Android

Steps

1. Install the UvioCall app on your Android phone or tablet and sign in.
2. Connect the USB microscope to the phone (an adapter may be needed) and focus it on your sample.
3. Start a call and pick the microscope from the camera menu.
4. Share the call link. Your guest joins in a browser with nothing to install and sees the magnified view.

Where this is useful

A microscope on a call lets you show fine detail to someone who is not in the room: circuit boards, solder joints, fibres, surface finish, small parts and samples. Training, quality checks and support calls all get easier when the other person can see the same detail you can.

Tips for a sharp view

• Fix the microscope on its stand so the view does not shake.
• Light the sample evenly. Glare is the most common problem.
• Focus before you start, then adjust slowly while talking.
• Check the camera in the menu before your guest joins.

Good to know

• The USB camera feature works in the UvioCall app on Android and iPad. It does not work on an iPhone because of Apple’s hardware limitations.
• Guests need no app and no account. You admit them from the waiting room.
• Calls are encrypted in transit and are not recorded.

Questions

Does a USB microscope work with any video service?

Not usually. Many video services only offer the phone’s built-in cameras. UvioCall adds a compatible UVC USB camera as an extra choice in its own app on Android.

What if my microscope only works with its own app?

Models that need their own app or a Wi-Fi connection are not standard UVC cameras and will not appear. Models that act like a normal USB webcam are the ones to look for.

Can I use the phone camera and the microscope together?

You can switch between them during the call. A second camera does not use extra minutes.

See also video calls with a USB camera and pricing.

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